The present invention relates to a denture storage device and more particularly to a pleated plastic bag for denture storage having tongue-and-groove style seals and an enclosed cleaning agent packet.
A wide variety of dental hygiene devices exist in the prior art. However, most of these devices incorporate the use of dental floss or are designed for use with natural teeth. One example of such prior art is U.S. Pat. No. 5,678,580 to Sherman. This device is a dental floss holder and dispenser sized and shaped to look like a credit card housed within a protective case. The protective case surrounds the floss holder and has one openable end allowing movement of the floss holder in and out of the protective case. The holder is provided with a supply of dental floss, preferably wound from side edge to side edge and about the middle section thereof.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,549,201 to Braude discusses a plurality of packages of dental floss with a plurality of separate elongate enclosures. Each elongate enclosure has length at least nine times as great as width with a piece of dental floss individually sealed therein.
U.S. Pat. 5,440,774 to Cole discloses a compact disposable teeth cleaning kit that can be carried easily in a purse or pocket. The kit includes a disposable finger mount, substantially cylindrical elastic sheath toothbrush having an open end and a closed end. The sheath is adapted to be rolled up or furled from its open end towards its closed end thereby creating a compact storage configuration wherein the full portion of the sheath forms a substantially angular peripheral rim with the end portion of the sheath spanning the area and circle by the rim. The end portion of the sheath is provided with brush means, such as protruding bristles that are adapted to clean the teeth of user when applied with a brushing motion thereto.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,346,061 to Newman, et al., discloses a dental treatment system with a flexible plastic outer container and a smaller, readily burstable thin film plastic inner container fixedly positioned in the outer container. The outer pouch is sealed with a foam dental treatment applicator therein. The inner container can be punctured in order to release the treatment solution, soaking the applicator. The bag is torn or cut open to allow removal of the treated applicator.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,249,674 to Lepie discloses a personal hygiene apparatus having a folded matchbook-like structure. A plurality of individually packaged dental floss members are detachably secured to the structure with pointed means for removing food particles from a user""s teeth integral with the matchbook light structure and at least one abrasive material means detachably secured to the structure for manicuring a user""s nails.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,240,415 to Haynie is a dental bleach system and method whereby the dental professional is provided with a predetermined quantity of fumed silica and a pre-measured volume of hydrogen peroxide solution wherein the hydrogen peroxide solution is mixed with the fumed silica immediately prior to application to the dental stain. Both the fumed silica and hydrogen peroxide are provided in the single-use kit having a tray and a removable cover. The container for the fumed silica serves as a mixing chamber. The hydrogen peroxide solution is contained in an ampoule that is carried in a recess in the tray. A spatula is also provided to mix the hydrogen peroxide and the fumed silica to form a paste and then apply the paste to a dental surface.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,184,718 to Albert and reissued Patent 35,034 to Albert disclose a disposable container adapted for single-use storing and cleaning of dentures. The container includes its own supply of cleanser.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,881,560 to Blank et al., discusses a thin dental floss dispenser having a credit card-like format, similar to the one disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,327,755. The dispenser includes a base panel having a peripheral ridge defining a shallow well with a substantially flat bottom. A flattened supply coil of dental floss is located in the well and covered by a panel, marginally bonded to the ridge of the base panel, matching therewith.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,775,318 to Breslin discloses a storage means wherein the body has an upper section and a lower section, each section of the body having an extending portion providing a plurality of tooth elements corresponding to the upper teeth and lower teeth of a subject.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,666,037 to Weissman discloses a protective carrier for a dental model used in the production of a dental prosthesis. The carrier includes three hinged sections wherein the sections can be folded over each other to close the carrier.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,211,330 to Strock discloses an oral health and hygiene kit having a length of flexible liquid pervious material having a pocket for containing the finger.
As can be seen from the prior art, there are no denture cleaning devices that are designed specifically to be portable thereby permitting an individual to properly transport, clean and store a pair of dentures while traveling. The prior art provides various storage or use devices for dental floss and various cleaning agents or devices that are to be used on natural teeth, either by an individual in the privacy of their own home or by a dental professional.
The prior inventions that discuss dentures do not relate to an invention combining a portable storage mechanism for dentures with an incorporated cleaning agent. In addition, none of the prior art includes an incorporated cleaning agent in combination with an incorporated air valve thereby allowing the release of pressure that may form from the dissolving and interaction of the cleaning agent with water. The present invention combines the characteristic of disposability with a portable storage device for dentures, incorporating a cleaning agent therein, wherein the denture storage device also functions to contain the dissolved cleaning agent solution when denture cleaning is desired.
The present invention is a heavy, 3 mil plastic bag including a top end, a bottom end, a first side edge and a second side edge. The top end of the plastic bag includes three tongue-and-groove style seals, commonly known in the art by the trademark ZIPLOCK, that run from the first side edge of the plastic bag to the second side edge of the plastic bag. The three tongue-and-groove style seals are parallel to each other and include an upper seal, a middle seal, and a lower seal.
The first side edge of the plastic bag includes a release valve fixedly mounted onto the bag. This release valve is a one-way air release mechanism to allow air within the plastic bag to escape. The release valve includes an air valve tube, an air valve tip and a plastic connector. The air valve tube is a hollow tube. The air valve tip is a small piece of plastic which prevents air from being lost when the air valve tip is connected to the air valve tube. The plastic connector is a small piece of plastic which connects the air valve tip to the air valve tube and prevents the air valve tip from being lost when the air valve tip is not connected to the air valve tube.
The plastic bag includes a cleaning agent assembly fixedly mounted on the plastic bag in between the upper seal and the middle seal on the inside of the bag. The cleaning agent assembly includes an attached plastic square, a cleaning agent packet, a cleaning agent, and a perforated plastic ring on the surface of the cleaning agent packet. The upper and middle seals may extend through the attached plastic square wherein the plastic square should be attached to the plastic bag before the seals are created. The upper seal and middle seal cannot contact the area of the perforated plastic ring or extend therethrough because after perforation thereof, the ring would prevent complete closure of the seal extending through the perforated plastic ring.
The cleaning agent packet in the cleaning agent assembly may be foil, plastic and/or paper. The attached plastic square is approximately one inch by one inch in diameter. The cleaning agent located within the cleaning agent packet is preferably a tablet.
Each of the three tongue-and-groove seals is composed of a male portion and a female portion. Both the male and female portions of the seals are preferably formed by the process of extrusion, but can also be formed by the process of plastic heat sealing.
Both the first edge and the second edge of the plastic bag are pleated near the bottom end of the bag. The pleats begin on each side edge of the plastic bag approximately halfway between the top end and the bottom end. The pleats increase in depth as they move toward the bottom end. The pleats are included in the plastic bag to allow the plastic bag to expand if water is placed within the bag.
The plastic bag for this invention comes in one of two sizes. The first size is termed the small size, and is designed for a partial set of dentures. The small size measures approximately three inches by three inches. The large size is designed to hold a full set of dentures. The large size is approximately five inches by five inches.
It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a new and improved portable storage device for dentures.
It is another object of this invention to provide a new and improved portable storage device for dentures wherein the device can also be used to store a set of dentures being cleaned.
It is still another object of this invention to provide a new and improved portable storage device incorporating a cleaning agent that can be activated at the option of the user.
It is yet another object of invention to provide a new and improved portable storage device for dentures that is leak proof.
It is yet another object of this invention to provide a new and improved portable storage device for dentures that includes a release valve to release pressure therein.
Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more readily apparent from the detailed description of the preferred embodiment when considered with the attached drawings and appended claims.